1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for analyzing and processing data on an object, and especially to a system and method for combining in a variety of ways measurement data on the object obtained by automatic scanning with design dimensions of the object.
2. The Related Art
In recent years, reverse engineering has been applied in a wide range of industrial design and manufacturing fields. Reverse engineering is mainly used for obtaining geometrical data on an object by analyzing and processing point cloud data on the object. Then a user can manufacture the object according to the geometrical data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,648 discloses an apparatus and method for creating three-dimensional modeling data on an object. Referring to FIG. 24, the apparatus comprises a material removal means 2401, a data requisition means 2403 and an object shuttle 2405. When the object shuttle 2405 transmits the object (not shown) to a first location 2407, the material removal means 2401 cuts the object to provide an exposed surface thereof. Then the object shuttle 2405 transmits the object to a second location 2409. The data requisition means 2403 acquires data on the exposed surface. Subsequently, the object is transmitted back to the first location 2407 and back to the second location 2409 repeatedly, for successive cycles of cutting the object and acquiring data. After each exposed surface is provided, geometrical data on it is obtained, processed and recorded. By combining the geometrical data on each exposed surface, a three-dimensional electronic domain representation of the object is yielded.
However, the user sometimes wants to know the difference between the geometry of the manufactured object and the theoretical geometry of the object. Computer aided verification (CAV) can provide such information. CAV can compare a point cloud model of the object with a design model thereof, and mark difference ranges in different colors. CAV can let the user know where and how the manufactured object is different from the design model.
Even though CAV can indicate difference ranges between the manufactured object and the design object, the user sometimes needs to know exact differences. This is because the user may want to improve the quality of the manufactured object by changing production criteria and procedures. Current technology does not enable the user to obtain measurements of the manufactured object and juxtapose the measurements with design dimensions of the object for precise comparison.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for conveniently and accurately analyzing and processing data on an object, wherein measurement data on the object can be acquired from point cloud data on the object.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for analyzing and processing data on an object, wherein design dimensions of the object can be retrieved from a graphic file of the object.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for analyzing and processing data on an object, wherein a report can be automatically generated by combining measurement data on the object with design dimensions of the object.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for analyzing and processing data on an object, wherein measurement data on the object can be readily output to a graphic file of the object.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a system and method for analyzing and processing data on an object. A preferred embodiment of the system comprises: an automatic scanning and measuring subsystem for obtaining point cloud data on the object by scanning the object, and generating measurement data on the object by processing the point cloud data; a graphic file receiving apparatus for receiving a graphic file of the object; a dimension capturing subsystem for retrieving design dimensions from the graphic file; a report generating subsystem for generating a dimension report by combining the measurement data and the design dimensions; and a measurement data outputting subsystem for outputting the measurement data to the graphic file.
A preferred embodiment of the method comprises the steps of: (i) obtaining measurement data on the object by processing point cloud data on the object; (ii) receiving a graphic file of the object; (iii) retrieving design dimensions of the object from the graphic file; (iv) generating a report employing the measurement data on the object and the design dimensions of the object; and (v) outputting the measurement data to the graphic file of the object.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention with the attached drawings, in which: